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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 9374859" data-attributes="member: 177">I cannot speak to what overgeek feels is the difference.&nbsp; However, I think we can draw a difference between an adventure design that has a linear structure, and use of GM force to move you along that structure.As an example, I will use my current 5e game - I'm running The Wild Beyond the Witchlight...[spoiler=&quot;For those who don't want to know about the adventure&quot;]On the large scale, TWBTW is linear.&nbsp; The characters go from the Witchlight Carnival, to the Feywild sub-domains of Hither, Tither, and Yon, in that order, and then to the Palace of Heart's Desire.If you want to finish the adventure, you must go through those domains, in that order.&nbsp; In Yon, there is an exit from the entire adventure, but that it only one way - if you leave, you quit.If I run this as a linear adventure, I allow characters to bum around in Hither for as long as they like - there's people to meet and things to do there but it is mostly irrelevant - and then move on to Tither when they feel they are ready.&nbsp; If I run this as a railroad, I have the hag that runs Hither beat the party up, put them in the basket of a hot air balloon, and send them to Tither whether they want to or not.[/spoiler]The difference between the two is the use of GM force to get the party to move along the path.&nbsp; Linearity is a structure, but railroading is a technique.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 9374859, member: 177"] I cannot speak to what overgeek feels is the difference. However, I think we can draw a difference between an adventure design that has a linear structure, and use of GM force to move you along that structure. As an example, I will use my current 5e game - I'm running [I]The Wild Beyond the Witchlight[/I]... [spoiler="For those who don't want to know about the adventure"] On the large scale, TWBTW is linear. The characters go from the Witchlight Carnival, to the Feywild sub-domains of Hither, Tither, and Yon, in that order, and then to the Palace of Heart's Desire. If you want to finish the adventure, you must go through those domains, in that order. In Yon, there is an exit from the entire adventure, but that it only one way - if you leave, you quit. If I run this as a linear adventure, I allow characters to bum around in Hither for as long as they like - there's people to meet and things to do there but it is mostly irrelevant - and then move on to Tither when they feel they are ready. If I run this as a railroad, I have the hag that runs Hither beat the party up, put them in the basket of a hot air balloon, and send them to Tither whether they want to or not.[/spoiler] The difference between the two is the use of GM force to get the party to move along the path. Linearity is a structure, but railroading is a technique. [/QUOTE]

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